Martha A. Taylor believes in the emerging power of women and philanthropy to change the world as never before. She views the women’s philanthropy movement as her calling--using her skills as the first woman vice president of development at a Big Ten university, along with her deep compassion for public education, social justice, health, the environment, the poor, minorities and women’s issues. Her vision for a better world embraces the role of religion as well as music and art to raise the essence and potential of the human spirit.

Martha's roles have included philanthropist, volunteer, development officer and manager, church worker, teacher, non-profit founder, author, and international speaker. She credits her family, particularly her late brother, and their amazing generosity in philanthropy, volunteerism, ministry and social justice, with fueling her passion to help others.

As Vice President of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Martha has been a key player in the growth of one of the most successful institutionally related foundations in the U.S. For public universities, the UW-Madison ranks in the top five for private gifts received.  In her more than thirty year tenure at the Foundation, she has worked in major and principal gifts and philanthropy advising. In 1988, she founded the Foundation’s Women’s Philanthropy Council, the first women’s major gift council at a large coed university.

Envisioning the need to take the women’s philanthropy message to a national audience, she co-founded with Sondra Shaw-Hardy, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute in 1991. It is now at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Inspired by the hundreds of women nationally seeking to make change in a different way, Sondra and Martha wrote the “field’s bible” in 1995, Reinventing Fundraising: Realizing the Potential of Women’s Philanthropy. In 2006, the co-edited, The Transformative Power of Women’s Philanthropy. They have written approximately 30 articles about women’s philanthropy. They have been widely quoted in most leading newspapers, and women’s magazines.

Martha has presented her keynotes and workshops across the U.S, and abroad. She chaired the first three national conferences on women’s philanthropy for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), served as faculty member for others. Her work has been recognized by many awards

She has served as board member, officer and president of many nonprofits boards including the Women’s Philanthropy Institute; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Division of Higher Education and Schools; National Lutheran Campus Ministry, Inc; Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Lutheran Social Services; Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Lutheran Campus Ministry Board; and A Fund for Women, Madison, Wisconsin.

Born in Madison, Martha grew up in a culturally diverse area in Los Angeles. She is a third generation graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her master’s degree at West Virginia University with her thesis on philanthropy in higher education. She enjoys music and the arts. She is married with two grown sons.